Improvement in game-counters



J. H. TABONY. Game-Counter.

- No. 196,499. Patented Oct. .23,1877.

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UNITED STATES PATENT O EIo JOSEPH H. TABONY, or NEWORLEANS, LOUISIANA,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HAL HIS'RIGHT TO P UL PIZZINI, or SAME PLAcE.

IMPROVEMENT IN GAME-COUNTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 196,499, dated October23, 1877; application'filed July 24, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. TABONY, of New Orleans, in the parish ofOrleans and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and ImprovedGame-Gounter and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure l is a perspective view of the tray containing the counters,boxes, and a pack of cards. Fig. 2 is a section of one of thecounter-boxes, showing the internal devices.

My invention relates to an improved gamecounter more particularlydesigned for keeping count of the game in card-playing, but applicable,also, for all other games which require a count.

The object of the invention is to provide a neat and simple device forthe purpose, to be used in the place of a pencil and slate, checks, orother commonly-employed means of counting; and to this end theimprovements consist, first, in arranging in a small box one or moredisks bearing numbers on their peripheries, and arranged on a shaft witha tension-spring, so that as the disks are turned from time to time thenumbers successively show through aslot in the top of the box, the disksbeing turned either by pressure upon their exposed surfaces or byspecial means hereinafter described.

The invention also consists in combining a set of these boxes with apartitioned tray, adapted to receive said boxes and also a pack ofcards.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing is represented the tray or receptacle for thecounters, which is' formed with a deep compartment, A,.in the middle,adapted to receive a pack of cards, and shallower compartments B B uponeach side of the same, which receive the separate removablecounter-boxes G, which are four in number, and fit two upon one side andtwo upon the other. These boxes and also the tray are made of anydesired material, but-are preferably constructed of sheet metal. The

boxes 0 are made in a square or cubical form,

open at the bottom, and with a slot, a, at the top, and in each of thesame is fixedly arranged. a shaft, D, with aseparating partition, b.Upon opposite sides of this partition and upon the shaft D are arrangedrevolving disks E E, whose peripheries are provided with numbers, 1 to10, which, in the revolution of I the disks, show through the slots toin the tops of the boxes to indicate the count. Upon the shaft D, also,are arranged spiral springs c c, which hear at one end against the sideof the box, and at the other against the disks E, to press the sameagainst the central partition I). The springs act in the nature oftensionsprings, to hold the disks to the position to which they areturned. In turning these disks as, the count progresses, this may beeffected either by applying the fingers to the disks at the slot at orat the bottom of the box, or said disks may be turned by specialappliancesas for instance, they may be located upon shafts, which areextended through the box, and provided with a button for turning, or aratchet-wheel may be formed upon the disks, and a pawl arranged toengage therewith.

As shown, four boxes with .two disks each are here employed; but I donot limit myself in this particular, and may use any number of boxes ordisks that occasion may require. I may also arrange a bell or alarmsignal in con nection with the boxes, so that the disks cannot be movedwithout allowing it to be known.

Disks bearing letters may also be used, in 0011- nection with thefigures, to indicate the names of the players.

I do not broadly claim a game-counter in which numbered disks areemployed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. Thecounter-boxes 0, having the open slots a and the central verticalpartition I), the fixed or non-rotating shaft D, the numbered andlettered disks E, projecting through said slots, and the tension-springsc, acting on the disks separately, all combined and arranged as shownand described.

2. The tray or case, having deep central compartment A and shallowcompartment 13 B on each side of the same, adapted to receive andcombined with a pack of cards and a set of counter-boxes, substantiallyas described.

JOS. H. TABONY.

